Technical Tidbits 5/12

It's the post draft edition of Technical Tidbits because, well... duh.

The Jackets had three former defensive starters taken over the weekend, the first of which was Jeremiah Attaochu in the second round (50th overall). The former OLB/DE was taken after the San Diego Chargers traded up seven picks to avoid having Sneezy drafted out from under them by some other team with a nose for true talent, and he'll certainly become a fan favorite soon in San Diego. Attaochu was the first Tech player drafted since 2012 when the Jets took WR Stephen Hill in the second round and became just the second player recruited by Paul Johnson to get drafted out of Tech (third if you count Anthony Allen who transferred from Louisville). I can't tell whether the Charger fanbase as a whole is excited or upset at the decision to trade up for Attaochu, but overall it would seem that they like the pick, just not the trade. This article from Bolts From The Blue points out quite a few different things that make Attaochu a good scheme fit, and he is being labeled as a replacement for Melvin Ingram. Oh, and Georgia Tech led the state of Georgia in draft picks this year. The Jackets had one more player drafted than UGA.

The next Jacket to be selected in the draft was DB Jemea Thomas, who went to the Patriots in the sixth round (206th overall). Thomas will get to learn the tricks of the trade from one of the best corners in the league in Darelle Revis and considering the Pats' history of thoroughly developing late round prospects and UDFA's, I'd expect Jemea to get some playing time this season assuming he makes the roster. I'm actually quite thrilled that he ended up in New England where they have such a great system for developing talent; Jemea Thomas certainly has plenty of talent for Bill Belichick and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia to work with. Unlike some of the San Diego fans, the consensus around Foxborough seems to be pure delight-- their expectations for Jemea Thomas are much higher than those of the average late round pick.

Brandon Watts became the second Yellow Jacket taken on the day when he was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the seventh round (223rd overall) on Saturday. The Vikings will be trying to replace the recently departed Jared Allen with a new crop of pass-rushers, and Watts will be one of the candidates to help fill that void. Watts doesn't have a great shot as making the team as a regular on the field, but he could easily find himself on the Vikings' roster come this summer if he continues his spectacular special teams work. While he doesn't have the upside of a Jeremiah Attaochu, Watts could still end up having a very successful NFL career if Minnesota does a good job developing his raw athleticism and talent.

Georgia Tech also had three former defensive starters who will sign contracts with NFL teams as undrafted free agents: DE Emmanuel Dieke, CB Louis Young, and DT Euclid Cummings. All three were big parts of anchoring the defense for the Jackets in 2014 and each one has a lot of potential to have a great NFL career. Former Yellow Jacket Robbie Godhigh was offered a contract with the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL, so even if he doesn't get an NFL gig (he is hoping things work out with the Falcons) he will still be playing football for a living. An interesting note on the Alouettes is that Godhigh would be playing with the infamous Chad Johnson/Ochocinco if he signed with Montreal.

Congrats to all of the Georgia Tech draftees and UDFA's! I am sure they will all have prosperous NFL careers if everything lines up for them.

Daily Debate: What is the ceiling for Jemea Thomas as a Patriot? As I mentioned, they have a great reputation for developing late round talent and rarely draft busts.

Do your best to enjoy your Monday.